The Root of Reasoned Discourse

I think the reason for the vitriol is that we have unwittingly hit on a nerve. The LA Times article presented gun owners in a human light. For those who have their identities wrapped up in who they are not, which is ignorant, paranoid, rednecks compensating for some kind of inadequacy and reacting to an irrational fear of crime stoked by the right wing establishment, it’s horribly destabilizing to a smug sense of self to read that those types of people might actually have things in common with you. They may even have a serious point of view!

It’s quite true; especially later on when he discusses how many anti-gun people view a lot of pro-gunners (especially those with blogs) as “shills for the NRA”. I’ve always found that amusing, because anyone with a modicum of knowledge about our culture would know just how often many gun owners get pissed off at NRA.